1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of cooling devices, and specifically to electro-mechanical devices which effect the cooling of the contents of a beverage container by rapidly rotating the container along its longitudinal axis in proximity to a cold substance. Specifically, the device of the present invention will rotate a standard twelve ounce beverage container 300 rpm in proximity to a few ice cubes and reduce the temperature of the contents by thirty degrees F. in approximately two minutes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that a generally cylindrical container of liquid may be rapidly cooled by rotating the container about its longitudinal axis while the container is disposed in a bucket of ice. It is further well known that cooling is effected more quickly as the speed of rotation is increased. This practice is commonly used to chill bottles of wine in restaurants. However, manual rotation or oscillation of the beverage container is time consuming and thus costly to a business establishment. In addition, the speed of rotation achieved by manual means is usually very low and prolongs the time to chill the beverage.
Two prior U.S. patents have disclosed motorized rotational devices to effect the rapid chilling of beverages in containers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,216,762, issued to Bolas, discloses an ice bucket having attached thereto a motor driven mechanism specifically designed to rotate a bottle of wine substantially inserted within the ice bucket. The mechanism of this invention is extremely complex, too expensive to manufacture and is specifically limited to bottles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,734, issued to Crane, discloses an apparatus for cooling canned liquids. This apparatus is impractical to use, expensive to manufacture and is specifically limited to cans. Furthermore, it may not, in some of its embodiments, meet present standards of electrical safety.
The device of the present invention is designed to solve a specific problem. Many canned and bottled beverages such as beer, wine, carbonated drinks and fruit-based drinks should be served at a temperature of about 40.degree. F. Many of these beverages should not be diluted by the addition of ice cubes. It is economically unfeasible and usually physically impractical to refrigerate the entire inventory of canned and bottled beverages of a restaurant or a home. The usual storage temperature of such beverages ranges from 65.degree. F. to 75.degree. F. Even in a refrigerated supermarket case, the temperature is about 50.degree. to 55.degree. F. By the time a refrigerated beverage is transported from a supermarket to a home, its temperature has risen about ten degrees. The problem, thus, is how to rapidly chill a canned or bottled beverage to the proper serving temperature, so that it may be served within a few minutes.
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a motorized rotational cooling device which will cool canned and bottled beverages to a proper serving temperature in minutes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a device which is very inexpensive to manufacture, very simple and safe to use and will satisfy the requirements of both domestic and commercial use.